Electric socket



J. CUTHBERT.

ELECTRIC SOCKET.

APPLICATION FILED Bic-4. I916. RENEWED JUNE 1. I920.

1,404,344, Patented Jan. 24, 1922,

J. CUTHBERT. ELECTRIC SOCKET. APPLICATION FILED 950 4. I916- RENEVIED JUNE ,1920.

Patentzd Jan. 24, 192 2 a satin-sp J. CUTHBERT.

ELECTRIC SOCKET. APruc nwu man 050.4. I916- RENEWED Jun: 1.1920.

UNITED STATES PATENT oer-51cc.

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Specification of Letters latent. Patented J an. 24, 1922.

Application filed December 4,1916, SerialNo. 135,051. Renewed June 7, 1920. Serial 1T0. 887,242.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN CUTHBERT, a citizen of the United States, 'residin at Chicago, in the county of Cook and tate of Illinois, have invented certain new and 1 useful Im rovements in Electric Sockets, of which t e following is a specification.

This invention relates to electric sockets.

More particularly it relates to sockets such as used with electric lamps, plug connectors and the like.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide an improved electric socket.

Another object is to provide a socket wherein the conductor andplug cooperating elements are permanently held within the socket casing or outer shell.

Another object is to provide an improved socket wherein the conductors may be readily attached and detached without opening or separating the socket casing.

Another object is to provide an improved socket wherein the conductors may be readily attached and detached from the open end of the socket.

Another object is to provide a socket with improved means for holding the casing or outer shell permanently in position.

Another object is to provide a socket comprising a contact and terminal carrying cartridge or unit inseparably held within the casing or outer shell.

Another object is to rovide a socket which is permanent and relia le, easil and cheaply manufactured and of neat and pleasing appearance.

Another object is to provide a socket having improved mechanism for completing and interrupting the circuit therethrough. Another object is to provide a socket wherein the circuit completing and interrupting switch may be readily operated from the outside of the socket.

Another object is to provide a socket wherein the projecting switch-operating buttons do not detract from the appearance or interfere with the placement of the socket.

Other objects and advantages will appear from the specification and claims.

An embodiment of the invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein- Fig. 1 is an elevation of my improved socket.

Fig. 2 is an enlarged central vertical section thereof, taken on line 2-2 of Fig.3.

Fig. 3 is a transverse section taken on line 33 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 4 is a transverse section taken on line 4+4: of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a transverse section taken on line 55 of Fig. 2. A i I Fig. 6 is a transverse section taken on line 6-6 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 7 isa plan view with a part broken away to show some of theinterior parts.

Fig. 8 is a perspective view of the switch actuating lever.

Fig. 9 is a similar view of the switch spring comprising one pole or terminal of the swltch.

Fig. 10 is a central vertical section taken on line 10--10 of Fig. 3.

Fig. 11 is a section taken on line 11-11 of Fig. 4.

Fig. 12 is a central section through the upper part of the casing, similar to that portion of Fig. 11.

Fig. 13 is a section taken on line 1313 of Fig. 2, showing the manner of holding the switch actuating buttons in the socket.

Fig. 14 is a modified andpreferred form of the switch spring.

In all the views the same reference characters are employed to indicate similar parts. p

' Electric sockets, as ordinarily constructed, require that the casing or outer shell be opened or separated to attach and disconing radially through one side of the shell 7,

or casing is poorly adapted for ornamentation. The key is greatly in the way, in the emplacement of the ornamental husk, which is frequently used to enclose the socket, in

simulation of a rose or other flower or ornamental structure.

In my improved structure the outer shell or casing is inseparably secured to the interior mechanism in such manner that it cannot be displaced by jarring, or in any other accidental manner, and it cannot be removed intact from the interior mechanism, after it has left the factory in which it has been made. The removal of the shell not being necessary in installing the socket, the socket is more stable and cheaper to construct and to install when the shell is made in a single piece and is inseparably fixed to the interior mechanism which it encloses.

In the exemplification of the one embodiment which I have chosen to fully illustrate and describe my invention, two insulating base portions 15 and 16 are joined together by the screws 17 and 18, the screws being countersunk, as at 19, in the base portion 15. The screws pass through the base portion 16 and are threaded into shaped plate 20.

a crescent The base 15 is provided with converging funnel shaped openings 21 and 22 for insertion'of the conducting wires 23 and 24. These openings register with openings 25 and 26, respectively, that are made through the insulating base portion 16 of the socket structure. The larger ends of the funnel shaped openings are toward the rear of the socket immediately below the conductor entering opening so that the conductors are readily lnsertable and positioned from the rear.

The covering of the conductor 26 is cut away, at the end that is desired to be connected to the socket, to expose the wires 23 and 24 and the insulation is cut off of the lower ends of these wires to expose the metal portion thereof, which is designed to be connected to the terminals of the socket. The plate 20 is perforated, as at 27, for the wire 23 or 24, as the case may be, and it is also perforated and screw threaded for a wire coiling and clamping screw 28. Another plate 29 to receive the wire-coiling and clamping screw 30, is held in place by the switch terminal screw 31, which holds the plate in place. The .plate 29 is also perforated, as at 32, for introduction of the conducting wire, either 23 or 24.

The conducting plates 20 and 29 and their conductor clamping screws form the two conductor terminals of the socket.

Wire coiling and clamping screws suitable for the purpose are set forth in my patent dated December 28th, 1915, No. 1,166,114. These screws are adapted to coil the respective conducting wire around the shank of the respective screws, and clamp it, as shown in Figs. 2, 4 and 10. The tapered openings 21 and 22 and the registering openings 25 and 26 provide conduits to guide the wires 23 and 24 through the perforations 27 and 32, respectively, so that the binding screws 28 and 30, may be rotated to coil the wire around their shanks, by introduction of a screw driver through the axial openin of the-socket casing or outer shell 35. I leld under the plate 20 is an inwardly extending flange of the screwthreaded plug-enga ing shell 36 and the insulating sleeve 37. y this means the inner shell 36 is put in electrical contact with the binding screw 28.

The insulating base ortion 16 is provided with a cavity 38 whic 1 contains the switch spring 39.- This spring is connected to the base by the central terminal binding screw or rivet, 40, and is returned upon itself, as at 41, as clearly shown in Fig. 9 and is provided with a projection 42 or roller 42. and terminates in the switch terminal contact plate '43, adapted for electrical connection with the binding screw or rivet 31 which has its head within the cavity 38. When the switch terminal 43 is in contact with the other terminal, comprising the head of the screw or rivet 31, as shown in dotted lines, electrical connection is thereby made from plate 29 through the screw 31, the switch blade 43 to the central terminal screw ,or rivet 40,'of the socket. Instead of the hump 42 on the spring 39 I prefer to use a roller 42, as this is more durable and reduces the friction of operation.

A U-shaped springclip 44 has threaded engagement with the central terminal screw or rivet 40 and is provided with a resilient free end, or blade 45, forming the center contact of the socket adapted for electrical co-operation with the central terminal of an incandescent lamp or plug connector with which the socket may be used. The fixed end of contact 44 is contained within a depression 46. This prevents the contact from turning and the wall 49 of the depression 46 serves as an abutment for. the extended end 45 of the contact. When the lamp is screwed firmly into position, in the inner screw shell 36, as usual, the central terminal of the lamp presses the extended resilient end 45, of the contact into engagement with the shoulder 49, thereby making a firm electrical connection. The shoulder prevents the contact from being distorted out of shape by the excessive pressure of the lamp or other plug.

The upper base portion' 15, of the socket, contains a relatively narrow depression 50 which communicates with the depression or cavity 38, in the base portion 16, and which contains the switch operating lever 51. This lever is provided with an integral upwardlyextending projection 52, having a trans versely extending fulcrum pin 53 for engagement in slots 54 made in the upper base portion, as shown in Fig. 5. It is also provided with extended arms 55 and 56, and the spring-engaging, angular projection 57. The base portion 15 is also provided with two parallel, axially-extending, communicating, cylindrical perforations 58- and 59, to contain the switch operating buttons 60 and 61, respectively. These buttons, or rods are adapted to be axially moved for operating the switch. The cylindrical perforations 58 and 59 are connected with laterally extending, relatively narrow slots 62 and 63, in which a pin 64, which extends transversely from the button on each side, freely moves. By this means the buttons, or rods 60,61, cannot be entirely removed from the socket in which they are placed and separated from the structure.

The switch is open, as shown in full lines in Fig. 2, in which case the button 60 has been depressed and the button 61. is elevated. Pressure applied to the upper end of the button 61 will depressthe end 56,01 the switch lever 51 which will causethe projection 57 of the lever 52, to ride over the projection 42 or roller 42' of the yielding spring 41 and will cause the free end 43, of the spring, to make electrical contact with the head of the terminal screw 31, thus closing the electric circuit through the lamp in the socket. When the button 61 is depressed, by pressure applied to the upper end thereof, the button 60 is elevated. At this time the switch is closed. Now to open the switch it is only necessary to depress the button 60, whereupon the rojection 57 of the switch lever 51 will ri e over the top of the projection 42 of the spring 41, and cause the switch to open with a quick-break snap ac-.

tion, thereby quickly breaking the electric circuit between the switch terminals 31 and 43 and preventing destruction thereof that would otherwise follow by slowly opening of the circuit.

Upon the upper end of the base portion 15, is an insulating rin or washer 66, which is centrally perforate for the wire 26 and which normally lies upon the upper surface of the base 15 and is covered by the smaller portion of the casing 35. This washer is perforated and is adapted to admit a cable 26 carrying twin conductors 23 and 24. When it is desired to use a duplex wire, as at 26', a smaller bushing 67 may be inserted in the central orifice of the washer 66, as clearly shown in Fig. 12.

shell, insulating sleeve and the conductor terminals, contacts and switch mechanism are united into a unit or cartridge which is insertable into the open front end'of the casing or outer shell where it is permanently or inseparably held.

The upper base portion 15 is provided with a circumferentially extending groove gitudinal axis thereof. The insulating base, inner plug engaging I 68 in its peripheral surface, and after the socket has been made the outside casing, or shell 35, is crimped or beaded into the groove 68, as at 69, to inseparably hold the casing upon the interior mechanism of the socket and to hold the mechanism within the casing or outer shell.

The socket may be wired without removing the casing, therefore, it is not essential to remove it at any time. For this reason I prefer to make it in one piece and inseparably fix it to the parts' constituting its contents.

While I have herein shown and described a specific embodiment of my invention it will ap arent to persons skilled in that art that 0t er changes may be made therein within the spirit of my invention and scope of the appended claims.

Ha'ving described my invention, what I claim is 1. An electric socket having a base, a plug engaging shell carried by the base, an enclosing casing also supported by the base andhaving an opening at one end for the conducting wires, a switch carried by the base within the casing to make and break an electric circuit with the shell, and a air of operating buttons for the switch, said buttons projecting through the end of the easing on opposite'sides of the opening therein.

2. An electriclamp socket having a base, a lamp engaging shell supported by the base, a casing also supported by the base to enclose the base and shell and having an opening at one end for the conducting wires, a pair of buttons operable substantially parallel to the longest axis of the casing, and a, switch mounted on the base within the casing to make and break an electric circuit including the shell and operable by the buttons.

3. An electric lamp socket comprising a base portion; switch members within the base portion; an enclosing casing open at one end and substantially closed at the other end and a switch-o crating axially-movable button projecting rom the closed end.

4. An electric lamp socket comprising a the base portion; an enclosing casing, open at one end and substantially closed at the other end, and two switch-operating, axially movable buttons projecting from the closed end of the casing, one on each side of the lon- 5. In a socket having an open end and a substantially closed end, the combination of a base portion; a switch spring comprising a strip ent upon itself having a projection from its free end; means for holding the fixed end of said strip in place and constituting a portion of the center terminal of said socket; a lever, centrally pivoted and having a lateral projction co-operating with the projection of said spring to open and closea circuit when said lever is moved on its pivot;

a fastening means, engaging one conducting wire-terminal of the socket, and located for contact with said switch spring when .the switch is closed; two switch buttons, movable 1n paths axially parallel with the axis of the socket, engaging the respective ends of said lever for operating the switch, and projecting from the closed end of the socket and two conducting-wire terminals accessible throulgh the open end of said socket.

6. n combination, a base portion; a movable switch member comprising a spring stri bent upon itself, with one of its ends fixed to the base; a roller on the free end for cooperation with a switch-operating lever; a lever, centrally pivoted on said base and having a tapered, substantially central projection' co-operating with the roller carried by said spring member, to open and close the switch when the lever is moved on its pivot; a switch terminal, in the path of said movable switch member, for contact therewith to close the switch and switch operating push buttons engaging the respective ends of said lever to operate the switch.

7. An electric socket comprising an outer enclosing casing having its front end subextending therethrough and registering with the opening in the rear end of the outer shell to allow the ready insertion of conductors into the socket from the rear, a pair of conductor terminals secured to the front of said base within the inner shell and having conductoro nings registering with the conductor open ngs through the base, a conductor coiling and clamping screw adapted to thread into each conductor terminal and accessible and operable from the open end of the inner shell so that conductors inserted from the rear of the socket may be coiled and clamped in position from the frontthereof, and co-operating means on the outer shell and base to inseparably secure the members together.

In testimony whereof I hereunto set my hand in'the presence of two subscribing witnesses.

JOHN CUTHBERT. In the presence of- F 0min BAIN, MARY F. Arman. 

